[Tannenbaum: I was happy that we were able to play in some meaningful games down the stretch, and into the playoffs. The team got better, especially down the stretch, to give us a chance to play in the playoffs. With that said, as Eric said the other day, it’s a clean slate now. We are 0-0. We are transitioning to 2007.

QWhat are you guys working on right now?

Tannenbaum: Right now we are critically analyzing the 2006 season from the personnel department as well as from the coaching staff. It’s important that we have a good, honest assessment of what we did well and what we can do better. What our strengths are, what are weaknesses are. Once we are done with the critical analysis of our team, Eric and I will assemble our lists of ‘musts and needs.’ We will pursue those ‘musts and needs’ as soon as the 2007 off-season begins, be it offense, defense or special teams. After that, I’ll be heading out to Mobile for the Senior Bowl. Then we will be rolling into the 2007 off-season.

Q)Do you guys need to get bigger on the defensive line? Tannenbaum:

We are going to look at everything, but the run-defense improved considerably over the second half of the season and that kept us in a lot of games. The short yardage and goal line defense was actually very good, especially stopping the run. There were some things to be encouraged by and there were definitely areas where we will need to improve. We have already met with the personnel department to get their thoughts. Over the next couple of days, Eric and I will sit down with the coaching staff to get their thoughts as well.

Q)How do you feel about your current cap situation?

Tannenbaum: I feel comfortable where our cap situation is. I don’t know what that final number is yet, there are still some nuances of contracts being netted out for incentives, but we should be in a comfortable cap situation. Philosophically we want to build our team through the draft as much as possible. Eric and I are committed to that. We are going to try to keep our own players as much as we can. That is another core belief. With that said, if we feel there are opportunities in the free agent market that make sense, we are obviously going to look at it and try to make the best decision.

Q)Do you think you will sign any big money free agents?

Tannenbaum: The core philosophy, obviously, is to spend as much of our resources on our own guys. If there is an opportunity in free agency, it has to be about value. One thing we know about the system, and it has been in around since 1993, you have to accept the consequences of any decision you make, good or bad. It stays on your cap. You have to make sure you feel good about those decisions because right, wrong or indifferent, you are going to have to live with them.

Q)Will you look to get long-term deals done with Jerricho Cotchery or Victor Hobson?

Tannenbaum: Both of those guys had very productive years. They got better and they took to the coaching well. We are going to put our plan in place and try to execute our game plan as best we can. Those are the types of guys that we do like.

Q)Do you guys need to add a feature back this off-season?

Tannenbaum: We did have 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns as a team. I know it was more of a running back by committee but there still was a level of production. We are going to take a long hard look at it to see what we can do better, but some of the pieces are here.

Q)Do you want to get new contracts done, and sign most new free agents before the draft?

Tannenbaum: What I have learned is, if we can have the roster as well prepared as possible before the draft, then we can be in position to take advantage of opportunities that may present themselves in the draft. Which is what I think happened last year. I don’t want to go into the draft saying, ‘we have to get X or Y,’ because based on history what I have learned is that is when mistakes can be made. I would like to have as few moving parts as possible relative to the roster heading into the draft because then we can capitalize on opportunities if they are presented and we can take what is best value for the team. That is my goal. We are going to work hard between now and the last week in April to put our roster in that position.

Q)How many draft picks do you have this year?

Tannenbaum: We have a first, two seconds, a third, a fifth and a sixth round choice.

Q)What are your thoughts on the season Kevan Barlow had?

Tannenbaum: Certainly the second New England game of the regular season was productive. He had six rushing touchdowns for us. There were some things that he did well. There are some areas, where, I'm sure he wishes he did better.

Now we are going to see what we can do in the future with him.

Q)Can Leon Washington be an everydown back?

Tannenbaum: How many reps he gets will ultimately be Eric’s call. What I will say about Leon that I am really impressed with specifically is he got better at the skill sets that we asked him to get better at in May. Ball security and pass protection in particular got better. He took the coaching well and worked on skill development. By him doing that he earned the right to play more. He earned the right to be there on third down. There are a lot of running backs in this league that aren’t on the field on third down because they cannot protect the quarterback. He could. He is highly competitive. The game is not too big for him.

Q)What are you plans for Tim Dwight?

Tannenbaum: We’ll be meeting with the doctors to get a good game plan over the next few days on all these guys in terms of what their limitations will be in the off-season program, if any, which usually starts traditionally in the third week of March. Some guys are limited to start with.

Q)Will Patrick Ramsey be getting his bonus this spring?

Tannenbaum: We’ll know a lot more about that situation as we get closer to the start of free-agency and when we see where our final cap situation winds up. Eric and I will sit down to discuss him and everybody else. By the start of the league year we’ll have a plan in place.

Q)Will Chad Pennington be the starter next year?

Tannenbaum: Eric is going to decide who plays. Chad Pennington did a great job for us this year, he’s a great leader and he’s a great competitor. There are a lot of things to be encouraged by Chad, in particular his 31-22 record as a starter.

Q)What are the attributes you will be looking for from players you acquire this off-season?

Tannenbaum: I think toughness for any of our players is really important. I think toughness is an endearing quality for anybody on our team. Being smart and competitive and being able take to coaching are all key attributes that our players need to have.

Q)Why was Andre Dyson active for the playoff game when he clearly wasn't 100 percent?

Tannenbaum: In those situations, you have until an hour and a half before the game to cut from 53 to 45. What we try to do there between Eric and myself and the trainers is try to make the best decision with all the information you have. You try to get as many of those decisions right, no one is ever perfect.

Q)Did you expect a little more from Kimo von Oelhoffen?

Tannenbaum: When you build your team, sometimes you see contributions that are either tangible or intangible and I would say, a lot of Kimo’s contributions, were from an intangible standpoint. He brought a lot in terms of leadership and I thought some of the players he helped were very meaningful. Did he contribute to the maximum? There is some room for improvement there.

His answers to the first two questions I am most impressed by as it shows they aren't going to leave any stone unturned this offseason and that the minute we were eliminated from the playoffs, the new season started and they got down to work, no rest. It's the committment any fan wants and that extra work should pay dividends in the future.

Man you cant tell me that Mr.T and Mangini arent the best duo between a GM and a Coach. I mean they both think alike, both talk alike. They are like friggen brothers! They both talk to the media the same way, they dont tell you shit, and thats the way I like it, because its even more of a suprise when a player is signed. I think we need to revamp the offensive line more. I was watching the NE game again, and I have to tell you the 2 guys that got pushed around like nothing was Moore and Ferguson, but Ferguson held more of a fight. Moore was getting killed, I liked this guy and was a huge fan, but u know we do need a upgrade, he isnt progressing anymore he is just degressing. Clements did a nice job actually, so maybe we resign him and then replace Moore? I just dont want to do too much in one year because I wouldnt want to hurt the chemistry of the line. Though they werent very good at all. defintely our weak point on offense this year. Linemen period are our problems.